Because of bioavailability, efficacy, or dosing convenience concerns, many beneficial agents are preferably administered parenterally. Since a recipient could receive several dosage forms over a lifetime, it is essential that the dosage form leave little or no undesirable residue. Bioerodible polymeric dosage forms are ideally suited for these applications, and provide the additional advantage that drug delivery from a single dosage form may effectively treat the disease state for a prolonged period.
Known bioerodible polymeric controlled release devices can be generally categorized as either encapsulated devices or matrix devices. In encapsulated devices, beneficial agent (e.g., drug) is surrounded by a polymer layer which controls release of the beneficial agent. The beneficial agent in a matrix device, however, is dissolved or suspended in the polymer matrix and diffuses through the matrix, or is released in conjunction with the dissolution, disintegration, decomposition, or erosion of the matrix.
With matrix devices, beneficial agents can be incorporated into the matrix by physical entrapment or are chemically bound to the matrix. When exposed to a biological environment of use, the polymer matrix dissolves, disintegrates, decomposes, or erodes (i.e., degrades) to release beneficial agent.
Known matrix devices in which the beneficial agent is chemically bound to the polymeric matrix are limited to compositions such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,356,166, 4,636,387, and 4,745,161, in which the beneficial agent is pendantly attached to the polymeric chains comprising the matrix rather than directly incorporated into the polymer chain backbone. Significantly, these known pendant polymer-beneficial agent schemes require a disadvantageous multi-step synthesis.
Co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 570,742 filed Aug. 22, 1990 describes bioerodible implants which are fabricated from poly (ortho ester)s and polyacetals which may be prepared from the instant invention.